Dr Liz chemistry whizz!

I really enjoyed the time I spent in Durham completing my PhD. It was a wonderful experience to work with such talented chemists amongst the academics and students in the department. I also benefited from the opportunity to attend and present my work at a number of British and international conferences. Aside from the chemistry, I loved being part of the community of international and local postgraduate students, and having the opportunity to explore all the beautiful areas around Durham.

After I finished my PhD in Durham, I was awarded a fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, which has been supporting research and education since 1891! With this support, I was able to come to UC Berkeley as a postdoctoral researcher. I am currently developing tools to better understand the role copper plays in our bodies, and how mishandling of copper can lead to different diseases.

In January next year I’ll be going back to Australia, to take up a lectureship at the University of Sydney. I’m planning to continue to work at the interface of chemistry and biology, to improve the current methods for studying oxidative stress in cells. Just as everywhere else, academic positions in Australia are hard to come by at the moment, and my job application was made much stronger by the research experience I gained during my PhD at Durham.